Sparking connection for automobiles.



A. L. RIKER.

SPARKING CONNECTION FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 4. 1902.

1 ,206,731. PatentedNov. 28, 1916.

by M

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW L. BIKER, OF SHORT HILLS, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE LOCOMOBILE COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N 0v. 28, 1916.

Application filed November 4, 1902. Serial No. 130,031.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW L. BIKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Short Hills, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Sparking Connections for Automobiles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to motor vehicles, and particularly to motor vehicles wherein are employed engines of the internal combustion type employing gas or gasolene or its equivalent as a fuel.

My invention relates more particularly to the sparking means for igniting the combustible admitted to the engine cylinder or cylinders.

In motor vehicles of the type referred to, the secondary wires or conductors which lead from the spark coils to the engine cylinders must be very heavily insulated to afford protection against the very high voltage currents conveyed by such conductors. This insulation usually greatly exceeds the conductor itself in diameter and weight. Consequently, when the usual means for securing the ends of the conductors are employed, viz., the baring of the conductors and clamping the bared ends in suitable clamps, requiring the wire to support not only its own weight, but the greater weight of its insulation, much difiiculty has arisen by reason of the frequent breakage of the conductors, due undoubtedly in a large measure to the constant vibration to which the conductors are subjected while the machine is in motion.

One aim of my invention is to provide novel means for securing the end of an insulated conductor whereby the insulation is made to sustain its own weight, thereby re lieving the conductor proper within the insulation, of this added burden.

Much difficulty has also been experienced in motor vehicles of the type referred to, due to the frequent breakage of the high potential secondary conductors at their ends adjacent the spark plugs at the engines, the vibrations of the latter tending to crystallize and break the metal conductors with such frequency as to cause serious inconvenience even when the conductors are adequately supported as to their weight.

' My invention aims to eliminate this difficulty also, by providing an electric coi1ductor composed of a series of flexibly connected links or members which will permit of any required vibration without danger of becoming severed or broken.

Referring to the accompanying draw ings,Figure 1 in side elevation illustrates a typical motor vehicle equipped with con ductors illustrating my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail, partial section, showing the flexibly connected electrical conducting members joining the insulated conductor with the spark plug; Fig. 3 is a detail in top view showing the bracket attached to the engine for supporting the secondary conductors leading thereto.

In the embodiment of any invention se lected for illustration herein and shown in the drawings, referring first to Fig. 1, Ihave illustrated a typical motor vehicle comprising the steering and propelling wheels, (2, 7), the spring supported frame, 0, body 0', engine E, clutch e transmission gear F with its jackshaft f suitably connected at its ends in usual manner with and to rotate the propelling wheels. The spark c0il or coils is or are arranged in a suitable box, located for instance, upon the dash board, and indicated at R, Fig. 1. The secondary conductors leading therefrom to the engines, in the present instance four in number, are indicated at (3. The insulated conductors, 6, near their ends adjacent the engines are supported, herein in pairs, by the T-shaped supports, 7*. The vertical arms of these supports are suitably secured, as to the engine, while the horizontal arms thereof, see Fig. 3, are shaped at their ends as indicated at W, to constitute semi-circular clamp portions, with which cooperate the opposing clamp portions, r secured thereto by screws, r, furnishing convenient means for clamping and retaining the ends of the insulated secondary conductors next the engine. In order to carry the clamps. r '1', outward a suflicient distance from the engine to enable the conductor to be conveniently connected with the spark plugs, the vertical members of the said T-shaped spurs are inclined outward. as best shown in Fig. 2.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the end of the insulated conductor, 6, is shown as fitted with a suitable cap, r to which is joined a series of loosely connected conducting members, 1'. These may be conveniently in the form of an ordinary metallic chain, connected at one end b a. pin, 1*, with a yoke, 1', on the clamp, 9 and at the opposite end connected with a perforated plate, 1*, which may be conveniently connected electrically with a spark plug by a usual knurled nut, r By this means the conductor between the cap, 1 and the coil box, R, may be secured as rigidly as desired or left free to vibrate as freely as may be found best, and at its end where connected with the spark plug and the engine, the presence of the flexibly connected members or chain, 7', takes care of any and all vibration between the conductor and the engine for all time without possible danger of breaking, and the chain serves as a satisfactory conductor for the purpose, because the very high potential of the current will cause it to uinp from one to another of the flexibly connected members, even though the electrical contact between the same be not what would ordinarily be called the best. In fact the interruption of the circuit between the loosely connected members which follows the vibration of the engine when running, has, as experience shows, a useful and beneficial effect, in that it produces an auxiliary or supplementary spark gap in the secondary or sparking circuit independently of the action of the ordinary spark timing device or spark distributer, the effect of which is to maintain the sparking at the spark plug within the explosion chamber of the engine, even though the plug becomes coated or bridged with soot or dirt. This may be explained by the fact that the supplemental gap cuts down the excessive secondary current which would otherwise flow through the secondary circuit, the main gap of which is now supposed to bebridged with carbon, which excessive secondary current would prevent the building up of the secondary voltage to the necessary point to maintain the desired sparking at the main spark gap. l/Vhether this be the true explanation, it is a fact demonstrated by experience, that the interrupted circuit afforded by my invention obviates much ditliculty due to foul sparking plugs.

My invention may be variously embodied, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, I having herein disclosed but one embodiment thereof.

- Claims:

. 1. The combination with an internal combustion engine of a spark plug, a. source of high potential current, an insulated electrical conductor for conveying current from said source to said plug, and an electrical conductor consisting of a series of loosely connected members electrically uniting said conductor with said spark plug.

2. In a motor vehicle of the type employing an internal combustion engine igniting by means of a'spark, the combination with an insulated secondary conductor and an engine and its spark plug of a multi-part conductor interposed between the said insulated conductor and said plug and consisting of a series of flexibly connected links or members joining said insulated conductor and plug.

3. The combination with an internal combustion engineof an engine spark plug, a. source of electrical currents, an insulated conductor for conveying current from said source to said plug, a multipart conductor interposed between the said insulated conductor and said plug and consisting ofa series of loosely connected links or members joining said insulated conductor and plug, and insulation supporting means for supporting said conductor including a device for maintaining the connected end of said multipart conductor in fixed position relative thereto, to prevent vibration of the adjacent end of said insulated conductor while permitting free vibration of said links.

4. The combination of an internal combustion engine, sparking devices therefor, a source of high potential current, an insulated conductor for conveying current from said source to said sparking devices, a terminal contact for said conductor, a series of flexibly connected contacting links connecting said conductor with said terminal contact, a supporting member secured thereto, and means on said supporting member for supporting said conductor by its insulated covering and arranged to maintain said series of contacting links normally taut.

In a device of the class described, the combination of an insulated conductor comprising the inner member 6 and sheath 60, having a terminal cap with a chain conductor connected therewith, having rigid connection at its opposite end with a sparking device, and a conductor clamp for the cap end of said conductor acting as a support therefor and normally to maintain said chain taut.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality of insulated conductors and a clamping support therefor for maintaining said conductors in relatively fixed position, metallic caps 1" secured to the terminal ends of said conductors, chains- 9- connected with the latter, and sparking device members 1- with which the opposite ends of said chains are electrically connected.

7. The combination with an internal combustion engine of a circuit having a main spark gap therein for exploding the fuel in the engine and automatically operable current interrupting means contributing to the effectiveness ofthe sparking at said main gap independently of the timing device for determining the occurrence of the spark at said gap.

8. The combination With an internal combustion engine, of a circuit having a main spark gap therein for exploding the fuel in the engine and another spark gap in said circuit operable independently of the spark timing device for contributing to the efiectiveness of the sparking at said gap.

9. The combination With an internal combustion engine, of a circuit having a main spark gap for exploding the fuel in the engine and members operable independently of the spark distributer having provision for causing the current to jump between them and contribute to the effectiveness of the sparking at said gap.

10. The combination with an internal com- ANDREW L. BIKER.

Witnesses WM. S. Lnn, Jn, JAMES T. ROCHE, Jr,

1 have signed my 

